Prospects for a statewide ban on texting while driving improved Wednesday as members of a key state House committee agreed the practice is dangerous and should be stopped.

Several witnesses pointed out the high risk of crashes and public support for such a ban to legislators at a Roads,Bridges & Ports Policy Committee workshop in Tallahassee.

Kevin Bakewell, senior vice president for AAA Auto Club South, said a club survey found 90 percent of Americans favor a ban, even though many admit to texting while driving. "Crash risk doubles when driver stake their eyes off the road for just a second," he said. If a driver is going 70 mph and takes his eyes off the road for three seconds to send a text, "that's the length of a football field," Bakewell said.

Rep.Nicholas Thompson, R-Fort Myers, said he didn't think Florida needed a texting law until he saw a motorcyclist texting on U.S. 441. "He had one hand on his gas tank. He was texting -- looking down and looking back up," Thompson said. The workshop, broadcast live on the Internet, explored whether to forge a single bill out of six proposing to restrict use of mobile communications devices on the road.

A combined bill is expected, according to the committee chairman. It would still face debate by various committees, including Roads, Bridges & Ports Policy, before consideration by the full House after the session begins March 2. The effort faces a similar process in the Senate.

The workshop, broadcast live on the Internet, explored whether to forge a single bill out ofsix proposing to restrict use of mobile communications devices on the road.

Two of the bills would prohibit reading, writing, typing,or sending a message on an electronic wireless communications device.Two others seek to ban cell phone use unless with a headset orhands-free device. One would ban cell phone use in school zones and another would bar school bus drivers from using mobile communications devices.

Keyna Cory, a Florida lobbyist for the National Solid Waste Management Association, said seven trash collectors have been killed by drivers who were texting."Our workers are at risk every time they stop," she said.

Treating a texting ban as a foregone conclusion, Diane Carr, a lobbyist for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, asked only that language be included to ensure drivers may use navigation systems that only take asingle touch of a finger to turn on and off.

Jim Messer, a member of the Florida Justice Association and founder of the Text Free Driving Organization, said Allstate Insurance found that driving while textingis equivalent to driving after drinking four beers.

Actually, a search of Allstate's Web site turns up the claim in a section urging teens to pledge not to text while driving. But a citation below the claim links to a report of a 2005 University of Utah study comparing reaction times of intoxicated drivers with drivers talking on cellphones. It found users of hand-held and hands-free cell phone devices were equally impaired.

The study, which did not measure drivers who were texting, found that cell phone users had more accidents than intoxicated users but added the cell phone users' impairments disappeared as soon as they hung up.

Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, said "broad consensus" had been reached on the texting ban but asked for more input on the proposed cell phone restrictions. Discussion also focused on whether police would be allowed to pull over suspectedviolators or issue citations only if they stop a motorist for a different offense.

Rep. Richard Steinberg, D-Miami Beach, said"we've probably all texted while driving and we did it because we thought it was safe." But not allowing police to pull motorists over for texting is like "telling people to do it if you think it's safe todo it."

Support for the text-ban proposal was not unanimous onthe committee. Rep. Steven Precourt, R-Orlando, said existing laws banning careless driving should be enough.

"Banning use of technology could lead you down a slippery slope . . . to banning anything at all that increases risk," he said.

Reached by phone later Wednesday, Rep. Pat Patterson, R-DeLand, said he'd liketo see a text-ban bill that "has some teeth" and will be enforced as a serious problem. "I hate it when we do legislation that's nothing more than a stop sign," he said. "Stop signs don't stop cars."

In ane-mail statement, Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said he favors banning texting while driving because it could help avoid deadly consequences. The Sheriff's Office recently banned its employees from texting while driving department vehicles. Violators are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.

By the numbers

19 states, plus Guam and the District of Columbia, ban text messaging for all drivers. In 15 of those states, police can pull over drivers suspected of texting.

6 states (California, Connecticut, NewJersey, New York, Oregon and Washington) ban all drivers from talkingon handheld cell phones while driving.

0 states completely ban all types of cell phones (handheld and hands-free) for all drivers.